5 miles southeast of Mabelvale at 341 pm CST. The tornado tracked northeastward and damaged or destroyed a number of homes and businesses in the area of Arch Street Pike and Dixon Road in the south part of Little Rock.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LZK wrote it up.
The Saline County tornado moved into Pulaski County about 2.5 miles southeast of Mabelvale at 341 pm CST. The tornado tracked northeastward and damaged or destroyed a number of homes and businesses in the area of Arch Street Pike and Dixon Road in the south part of Little Rock. One person was killed in the same area when the building he was in seeking shelter was destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down. The tornado continued to produce damage as it moved northeastward, but weakened and partially lifted as it approached the intersection of Highway 65 and Dixon Road. At this location, a building was destroyed and the tops of some trees were removed.The tornado reemerged near the College Station area around 349 pm CST, causing widespread damage. Many frame homes were either damaged or destroyed. 4 people were killed in the College Station area. A number of residents noted that there was a tremendous amount of flying debris. The tornado crossed I-440 and passed very close to Little Rock National Airport. The airport was closed for several hours after the storm passed, due to a large amount of debris on the runways. A hotel and a UPS Distribution Center near the airport sustained some damage. The tornado eventually lifted soon after it crossed the Arkansas River.Much of the damage along the path of the tornado was F2 and F3. However, some structural damage along the path was consistent with an F4 rating.
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:42 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado, Pulaski | 1997-03-01 | 61 | Male | Business | Direct |
| Tornado, Pulaski | 1997-03-01 | 69 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Tornado, Pulaski | 1997-03-01 | 74 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Tornado, Pulaski | 1997-03-01 | 62 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Tornado, Pulaski | 1997-03-01 | 45 | Female | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 1997Warnings in Arkansas, March 1997
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5592933.